Hacktivism: The How and Why of Activism for the Digital Age

On the main floor of the Munk Centre for International Studies, a formal reception is taking place: The topic of discussion is internet accountability. The political figures that are participating in the reception have arrived at the University of Toronto wearing suits and ties, and gather over appetizers for a chance to speak their piece. Below this formal event—one floor down, in the basement of the Munk Centre—heavy rock music is blaring. A crew of well-caffeinated undergraduates are coding programs to probe international computer networks. Over the loud music and between the flurry of fingers against keyboard, they are having the same discussion as the formal reception one floor up: internet accountability. This is the Citizen Lab and its inhabitants call themselves hacktivists.

Understanding the history of hacktivism helps us to understand its current manifestation. Once its history is understood, it is possible to appreciate some of the issues that hacktivists tackle, such as internet censorship and online surveillance. These issues are often otherwise neglected, as they tend to be too technical for a strictly political group to understand, and too politically involved to interest most technology-driven groups. And yet they remain some of the most significant issues surrounding the internet today, because they affect our privacy, freedom of speech, and the free exchange of information. It is through education and raising awareness about these issues that these freedoms will be preserved, and this is what makes hacktivists so important.